Broken Pieces
by blackandblood
Summary: A brutal attack leaves Zoe paralyzed and her family dead. Then she meets Takuya and tries to start a new life. But what happens when the murderer escapes from prison seeking revenge? Major Takumi
1. Chapter 1

Broken Pieces

17 year old Zoe Orimoto walked into her house after running home from her friend's house. She was supposed to be home a half hour ago but lost track of time.

"I really hope everyone's asleep or I'm screwed", she said quietly.

The house was quiet. Almost too quiet. As she made her way through the kitchen she heard a muffled scream. Alarmed, she ran into the the living room only to be struck with a heavy blunt object. Her ears started ringing and then everything went black.

When she finally regained conciousness she looked around. To her complete horror she saw her parents and her younger sister tied up in chairs, each with a gag in their mouth. Zoe tried to move and discovered that she couldn't move and that she too was bound and gagged. She tried moving but it was no use. Her mother was unconcious, but her father and sister, Akari, were awake. There was a gash on the side of her father's head and a steady trail of blood made its way down his face. Akari was crying through her gags, tears running down her cheeks. Her eyes were wide with fear. Sitting in their father's easy chair was a young man in his mid-twenties. He was nonchalantly wiping his knife on a rag he was holding. She saw no blood on it....yet.

The man looked up and smiled. "So glad you could make it. We're having a small get together and your family was just dying that you would be able to come."

Zoe started shaking in fear. What did he plan on doing? She started to yell at him through her gag, begging him to let them go.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get that. You know you shouldn't be talking with your mouth full." He smiled and stopped wiping his blade. He went over to each of them and took off their gags.

"You son of a bitch! Let my family go or I'll break your neck!" Mr. Orimoto screamed at the man.

The man smirked. "Yeah, good luck with that one."

"What do you want? Do you want money? I'll give it to you, just let my family go!" Her father was terrified but was trying his hardest not to show it.

"Kyo?" Zoe's mother was regaining conciousness. "What's going on?" She asked her husband.

"Try not to panic Kaori, just stay calm". He knew that it sounded ridiculous but he didn't know what else to say.

"Daddy?" Akari was scared to death. "What's he going to do to us? What does he want?"

"I don't know honey." He looked at the man. "What do you want already? We'll give you whatever you want, just let us go. Please, whatever you do don't hurt my family!"

"Oh, you mean like this?" The man struck Zoe's mom across the face.

"Mom!" Zoe and Akari cried in unision.

"I'm going to kill you!" Mr. Orimoto struggled with all his might to free himself but to no avail.

Mrs. Orimoto winced in pain, then gave her attacker a look that briefly sent chills down his spine. He quickly snapped out of it though and drew a gun from his belt. Everyone froze, not knowing what to do or what would happen next. He went over to Akari and took a good look at her.

"You're a bit young", he said. "But you'll do just fine."

"What are you going to do to my baby?!" Mrs. Orimoto screamed. "Let her go! Let her go now, you bastard! Don't you dare touch her!"

The man suddenly pointed his gun at her and fired.

"KAORI!"

"MOM!"

She shuddered for a moment, then went limp in her chair.

Zoe and Akari began to sob loudly, while their father sat there shaking, his face pale and tear-stained.

"Any more comments?" The man lowered his gun.

Mr. Orimoto suddenly threw himself backward, breaking the chair against the floor. He scrambled to attack the man, who was stunned for a moment, and tried to take the gun from him. The man got the upper hand and fired once.

"DAD!"

He crumpled to the floor and lay there unmoving.

Zoe and Akari stared at their father's limp lifeless body, then at their mother's. Is this really happening, they thought. Is this how it's going to end? Being killed off by some lunatic?

The man abruptly went behind Akari's chair and untied the ropes securing her to the chair. She yelped as he dragged her up and threw her into the corner. She sat there shaking and crying, not knowing what to do. Their attacker then went to Zoe and untied her as well. He grabbed a handful of her long golden locks and threw her next to her sister. Zoe hugged her younger sister and held her close, tears threatening to run down her beautiful face.

"So who's the one that gets to go first?" The man asked mockingly.

Akari, not understanding said,"What do you mean by that?"

"Me," Zoe said abruptly. "Please don't hurt my sister."

The man thought for a moment then suddenly grabbed Akari by the throat. Akari gave a choked out scream.

"Let her go!" Zoe lunged at him and tried to attack him but he punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground. Zoe tasted blood in her mouth.

"ZOE!" Akari bit the man's hand as hard as she could, drawing blood.

The man screamed. "You little bitch!" He slammed her into the wall. He then shoved the barrel of the gun into her stomach and fired.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" Zoe screamed. "AKARI!"

But it was too late. Akari lay on the floor in a growing puddle of blood. Zoe tried to go over to her sister but was brutally shoved into the wall, slamming her head into it. She quickly scrambled to her feet and tried to run, but the man grabbed her hair and yanked her back. She turned and gave him a kick in the stomach. He groaned in pain but grabbed his knife. She had almost made it to the door when suddenly she felt a stabbing pain in her back. She screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Her vision blurry, she took a look at the man standing above her, holding the bloody knife. She groaned, then everything faded to darkness.

Well chapter one is finished. Hope you like it, this is my very first fanfic. She meets Takuya in the next chapter, coming soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry to depress you all. But i promise that it's going to be a lot happier with some comedy thrown in as well. I'm used to writing dark twisted stuff so i just couldn't resist doing something like that for the first chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter. ;D

**Broken Pieces**

**Chapter 2**

Zoe woke up eventually, her head throbbing. She tried to remember what had happened but she felt so disoriented that she couldn't think straight. What happened, she thought. She looked around and could barely make out her surroundings. She vaguely saw an I.V. next to her and a dim ceiling light above her. Ahead was an easy chair and a t.v. high on the wall. There was what looked like a small bathroom in the left corner of the room. On the left there was a pull-out cot. It was a hospital room.

"What happened? And how long have I been here?"Zoe said quietly.

Suddenly it all came rushing back to her like a tidal wave. She cried out and grabbed her head. She remembered coming home and being attacked. Seeing her family tied up. Watching the man and waiting to see what happened. Witnessing her family being murdered in cold blood right before her eyes. Staring at their limp, lifeless bodies.....

She cried out and tried to get off the bed, but discovered that her legs didn't want to work. She pulled the blanket down and looked at her legs. They looked fine. Hardly any bruises or anything. She tried moving them, but to no avail.

They must be asleep, she thought nervously. I just have to let them wake up. She waited a few minutes and tried again, but still no movement.

"What's wrong with me?" She sobbed.

Just then a nurse walked in and smiled. "Oh, good. You're awake. How are you feeling?"

Zoe looked up at her. "What's wrong with me? Why can't I move? Is it from the medicine?" She asked, glancing over to the I.V.

The nurse's smiled faded and a look of concern came onto her face. "Um, let me go get the doctor and let him explain everything to you."

Before Zoe could say anything the nurse turned around and left the room.

Zoe waited in silence, her body shaking in fear or what she was about to hear.

A few minutes later a tall man with graying hair walked into the room with a clipboard. He gave a small smile. "Good to see you're awake. I'm Dr. Taneka."

Zoe stared at him."What happened to me? Why can't I move my legs? And how did I get here?"

He glanced down at his clipboard. "I wasn't given all the details, but you and you're family were attacked and someone heard screams next door to you and called the police. The police showed up just in time to catch the intruder before he fatally wounded you. However, you had a deep stab wound in your back from what looked like a butcher's knife. The blade damaged your spinal cord. It has impaired your ability to walk-"

"Wait a minute! Is that why I can't move? Am I paralyzed?" She dreaded the answer.

"Yes, but the good news is that your chances of walking again are pretty good. We can recommend the finest physical therapists and within a few months, with hard work, you'll be able to walk like you used to."

Zoe thought for a moment. It was horrible that she couldn't walk, but at least she had the capability to walk again someday. That made her a little happy knowing that it was not permanent.

She looked back at him."Umm...do you know..do you know if anyone else in my house...survived?"

He shook his head."I'm sorry, but by the time the paramedics came, it was too late for anyone else."

Zoe went numb. Deep down she had a feeling but she had still to wanted to hope. All hope was lost now. She could barely hear Dr. Taneka explaining that her relatives have already been contacted and were on their way. She was going to stay with her aunt Tomoyo and her uncle Takashi.

Everything happened so fast. Zoe's aunt and uncle showed up trying to comfort her and explain that she would live with them and that they already found a physical therapist for her. She nodded, taking everything in. She was given directions how to properly control the wheelchair she was given and before she knew it, she was wheeling herself out of the hospital, into her uncle's van.

On the way to their house, Zoe asked them if they knew what had happened to the man who broke into the house.

Tomoyo cleared her throat. "The man they arrested was Hatori Matsumoto. Apparently he broke into the house, took everyone hostage one by one as they slept, then waited for you. He's been arrested before. I think it was for burglary or something. I'm not sure, they didn't really want to tell us much, even though we have every right to know." Her voice cracked and tears welled in her eyes.

Takashi patted her arm. "It'll be okay. I think the guy's due in court on Tuesday."

Zoe looked up. "What's today?"

"Sunday. You were taken to the hospital Friday night, then they kept you Saturday to make sure everything was okay."

"We have your room set up and everything. Your grandparents went to your house and grabbed most of your belongings. I can take you to your house if there's anything you want that they forgot." Tomoyo gave a weak smile. "It's been a tough weekend for everyone, especially for you. If there is anything you need or want just let me or your uncle know."

Zoe returned a weak smile."I really don't want to be a pain-"

"Nonsense. If I can deal with your uncle then you should be a piece of cake."

"Hey! What did i do?" Takashi whined."Well anyway, tonight two of our friends are coming for dinner and they're bringing their son along with them. He's your age i think...Oh, here we are."

He pulled the van into the driveway. Zoe had been to their house a few times but forgot kept forgetting how big it was.

After the getting everything they needed out of the van, Zoe lowered herself into the wheelchair. Her legs seemed a tiny bit better, but were still pretty much useless at this point.

Zoe went into the room meant for her. It was filled with bags of her things.

"We didn't want to go through your things without you, but I can help you unpack everything later if you'd like." Tomoyo walked in behind her.

"I'm just going to rest for a little bit before dinner. Is that okay?"

"Sure no problem. I'm going to start dinner in a few minutes. I'll wake you when it's ready." She paused, then pulled Zoe into a hug. "I'm so sorry this happened to you but I promise your uncle and I will do everything we can to help you recover."

Zoe smiled. "Thanks. It can't be easy for you either. I mean, you lost your sister......"

"Yeah but if I know your mother, and trust me I do, she would not want us to be unhappy. She'd probably kick my ass if we kept grieving over them." Tomoyo quickly wiped a tear away. "But I'm going to start dinner. I'll let you know when it's done." She left the room and shut the door behind her.

Zoe looked down at her legs and tried moving them. She tried for fifteen grueling minutes. Just as she was about to give up, they moved slightly. She smiled and wheeled her way to her bed. At least it was progress. After ten minutes she finally got herself up onto the bed. Her arms were killing her and she was so tired. She yawned and decided to go to sleep.

Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang. Tomoyo opened the door to be greeted by her friends.

"Hey, how you doing?" Mr. Kanbara asked.

Tomoyo sighed. "I'm doing." She looked at their son. "Hello, Takuya. How are you?"

"Tired........." He rubbed his eyes. "My mom woke me up again."

"Well maybe if you didn't wait till four in the morning to go to bed then you wouldn't have to sleep till five in the afternoon." Mrs. Kanbara gave him a light smack upside the head.

Takuya wandered through the house sleepily while the adults talked.

Meanwhile, Zoe was having nightmares about that night. She groaned and as she remembered the gun going off into her sister's stomach she screamed and jerked herself awake. She jerked herself so hard she accidently fell off the bed.

Takuya heard a scream and a thud then barged into the room and came face to face with the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

Well that's it for chapter 2, i hope you liked it. stay tuned for chapter 3


	3. Chapter 3

hello. trying my hardest to get this story updated as soon as possible especially since im going away next week and wont have access to my stories. but hopefully it'll be done by then. until then i hope you enjoy this chapter

**Broken Pieces**

**Chapter 3**

_Takuya heard a scream and a thud, then barged into the room. There he came face to face with the most beautiful girl he had ever seen._

"Ow....." Zoe rubbed her throbbing head. This week just kept getting worse. Or was it?

"Are you okay?" Takuya walked over to her and knelt at her side. "Did you fall or something?"

"I'm guessing so considering that I could've sworn I was on the bed no more than thirty seconds ago." Zoe rubbed her head again. "And I got a nice little headache to remind me." She smirked.

"Here, let me help you." Takuya slid his hand beneath her head and helped her sit up. Her blond locks felt silky between his fingers.

"Thanks. I'm Zoe by the way." Zoe couldn't help but stare into his brown eyes. My god he's hot, she thought. So much for a good first impression.

"I'm Takuya", he said. He tried pulling her to a stand, only to have her collapse into his arms. "Are you okay?" He asked blushing a bit.

"Um, I can't walk at the moment-"

"Damn! I'm such an idiot. I'm sorry. Your aunt told my parents what happend and they told me but I guess I was so out of it at the time that it didn't register completely." He turned slightly red from embarrassment. She probably thinks I'm jerk, he thought.

Zoe smiled. "Don't worry about it."

Takuya smiled back. She's gorgeous, he thought. He stared into her sparkling green eyes. He quickly snapped out of it. "Um..do you want to go back onto your bed?"

She turned a bit red, not wanting him to have to help her but she knew she had no choice. "Could you actually help me into my chair? I'm sorry to ask you-"

"Say no more". He picked her up and walked over to her wheelchair where he gently set her down.

Zoe felt a twang of reluctance when he put her down. It felt good to be in his arms. What are you thinking stupid, she thought. A guy who looks like that has to have a girlfriend.

"Thank you", she said. "You look pretty tired. Get dragged out of bed or something?"

"Yup. I mean it's normal to sleep until five p.m. right? It's not just me?"

Zoe smiled. "Nope, it's just everyone else."

She looks so pretty when she smiles. Not that she doesn't look pretty when she's not smiling, he thought.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but is your injury...um...permanant. I mean if you don't want to answer I understand, it's really none of my business."

"I don't mind. Fortunately, it isn't permanant. I do have a really good chance of walking again. I mean it'll take a while, but if I work hard enough then I should be walking pretty good within a few months." Zoe brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "First I'll have to learn to crawl and then I'll have to learn to walk, kind of like a baby."

"That's good. I could probably help you if you'd like. I mean I come here all the time to raid your aunt's fridge...and the pantry..."

"Do your parents not feed you or something?" She asked jokingly.

"No they do, but your aunt and uncle have all the good stuff. So if you just randomly see me walk into the house and start going into the kitchen don't think anything of it. They realized that chaining the fridge up won't keep me out."

"Takuya! Where are you? It's time for dinner!" Mrs. Kanbara yelled from the kitchen.

Tomoyo walked into the room. "Zoe it's time for-". She saw Takuya and smiled. "I see you met my niece Zoe."

"Yup we got aquainted after she fell off her bed."

"Are you okay Zoe? Did you hurt yourself?"

"No, I'm fine." Zoe rubbed the back of her neck.

"Well dinner's ready. I hope you brought your appetite." Tomoyo smiled.

"You bet I did", Takuya said, rubbing his stomach.

"Well that's a given. Can't remember the last time you came the house and didn't eat something."

Zoe waited for them to leave the room first, as she did not want to get in their way. She navigated herself to the kitchen, bumping the chair into a few things along the way.

"Sorry. I'm still trying to get the hang of this thing........"Zoe said apologetically.

"Don't worry about it. People bump into stuff all the time. At least you have an excuse." Tomoyo led them into the kitchen where Takashi and Takuya's parents sat.

Takuya took a seat and Zoe pulled her wheelchair into an empty space at the table next to him.

After they ate, the adults went outside on the deck to talk amongst themselves.

"Yeah you guys are probably sneaking off to have a cigarette. You don't have to hide it from us. We're all adults here", Takuya said mockingly.

The four of them gave him a look. "Shut up, we don't smoke.......much."

"So", Takuya said after they left. "What are you up to tomorrow?"

"I'm probably gonna unpack and then try to work on my legs, try to get them moving more," Zoe replied. "What about you?"

"At this particular point in time, nothing. I mean some of my friends wanted to hang out but they're driving me nuts so I'm just gonna blow them off tomorrow." He rubbed his neck nervously. "I was wondering.........do you want to...you know....hang out tomorrow?"

Zoe blushed slightly. "Yeah, sure. That would be nice."

Takuya smiled. "Alright, sounds good."

"Takuya! We're leaving now. We have to go make sure that your brother didn't burn the house down!" Mr. Kanbara shouted.

"This is why I tell you not him leave home alone. I hope you have insurance on the house." Takuya shook his head. "I'm surprised he hasn't burned it down or blown it up or something.....But I got to go. What time do you want me to come over?"

"Um...well I wouldn't want to interfere with your sleeping time, so how about six?" Zoe asked.

"I'll go to bed early tonight just for you. I'll see you at noon, okay?"

"See you then," she said. "Bye."

"Bye." He left the room and out of the house.

Zoe sighed and went into her room. I miss him already, she thought. Don't be stupid! He wants to be friends, not soulmates. God I'm losing it, I'm going to bed.

**i hope you liked this chapter. chapter 4 will have cute fluffiness and humor. wasn't sure how to go about this chapter, so i just said screw it and winged it. hope it didn't come out too bad.**


	4. Chapter 4

**okay here's chapter 4. thank you for the comments :D**

**Broken Pieces**

**Chapter 4 **

**Disclaimer: i do not own digimon (if i did there would be a lot more takumi)**

"Takuya, get your lazy ass up!" Shinya shouted at his older brother.

"Shinya, watch your mouth! Your on thin ice as is. Your father and I have to buy a new microwave now." Mrs. Kanbara yelled from the kitchen.

"Aw, how was I supposed to know that you can't put metal in the microwave?" Shinya grumbled. He turned his attention back onto Takuya. "C'mon, you wanted me to wake you at eleven so GET UP!"

Takuya snored and rolled over.

Shinya's eye twitched. He grabbed an alarm clock and let it ring loudly next to his brother's bed. Nothing. He tried banging a pair of cymbals to wake him. Still nothing. Finally a set of drums, a trumpet, and an air horn later he got out his last resort.

"I didn't want to have to do this.....who am I kidding, yeah I did."

Takuya curled up with his head under his pillow.

Shinya took aim and fired his heavy-duty watergun right into Takuya's raised ass.

"AAHHHH! YOU LITTLE BRAT! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Takuya got up and began to chase after his brother.

"Hey, you said you wanted me to wake you! You didn't say how!" Shinya ran out of the house, knowing Takuya wouldn't run outside in just his boxers.

"I'll get you later!" Takuya shouted after him, then made a mental note to hang him on a flagpole.

He went back into his room and got dressed, then started heading over to Zoe's.

"I don't think she'll care if I'm a bit early," he said to himself.

Fifteen minutes later he walked into the house without knocking, as he usually did. He saw a note on the counter that said _Zoe, your uncle and I had to run to the store. We should be back within an hour or two. Call us if you need anything. Love, Tomoyo._

"Zoe?" He wandered through the house. "Maybe she's still sleeping. I'll just go and wake her up."

We opened her bedroom and said, "Zoe wake up-"

He then realized that Zoe _was_ awake and that he should have knocked. He had walked into her room while she was in the middle of getting dressed. She had a skirt on but she was also wearing a pink bra, holding a shirt in her hands.

Zoe turned completely red. "Get out of here! I'm getting dressed! I'll let you know when I'm done." She held her shirt over her chest to try to cover herself.

Takuya also turned red. "I'm sorry!" He turned to leave the room but not before walking into the door frame. He then staggered out and shut the door. Takuya was breathing heavy, his mind trying not to concentrate on the sight he had just seen. She looks good in pink, he couldn't help but think.

Zoe shakily pulled her shirt over her head. How embarrassing, I've known him for less than 24 hours and he's already seen me half naked, she thought. I wonder if he liked what he saw.....

"Stop it stupid," she said quietly to herself. She regained her composure. "Okay I'm all set."

Takuya clumsily made his way back into the room. "Sorry, I thought you were sleeping and I was going to wake you up. I guess I should have knocked." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's okay, just knock from now on." Zoe smoothed her skirt out. "So.....what did you want to do today?"

"Well, you said that you need to learn to crawl before you walk, so let's get to it."

Before Zoe could say anything, Takuya picked her up off her bed and set her on the floor.

"But I can't crawl yet, I have to strengthen my legs first," she said.

Takuya smiled. "You won't know until you've tried. Here, I'll help you get on your knees." He repositioned her, only to have her collapse onto his lap.

"I told you, I'm not ready to crawl. I can't even hold myself up," she said sadly.

"Don't worry, you'll get it eventually. Kind of like a baby."

Zoe sighed. "This is going to be harder than I thought."

Takuya helped her get up and tried to help her sit but lost his balance (he's pretty damn clumsy sometimes) and fell on top of her.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before the door opened.

"Zoe, we're back-" Tomoyo stopped dead in her tracks. "Uh....I'm sorry. My bad." She tried not to smile. "I'll just leave you two alone." She left the room and shut the door. "Yes!" She said quietly to herself.

"Uuuuuhhhhhh......." They said in unision.

"My bad!" Takuya jumped off of her.

"It's okay. Let's take a break from this."

"But we've only been doing this for like a minute", he said.

"Yeah, but I'm already tired. Let's get something to eat. That might help when I try again later. Have you eaten already?"

"You don't know me that well. I ate something before I left, but I always make room for more food." He smiled. "Tomoyo and Takashi will have to run back to the store when I'm through eating."

Zoe laughed. "Alright, let's go." Her chair was close enough where she could reach it. She started to use her arms to pull herself up into it, only to have Takuya pull her into it.

"There you go. C'mon, let's eat."

Zoe smirked. "Pig. Where do you put it all?"

"I dunno, maybe I'm part cow. Cows have four stomachs...or somthing like that."

He looks pretty damn good if he eats a truckload of food a day...knock it off Zoe, she thought to herself.

They went into the kitchen and Takuya started rummaging through the fridge and pantry, knowing exactly where everything was.

"Are you sure you'd rather spend the day with me instead of your friends?" Zoe asked half-jokingly.

Takuya turned around, serious. "No, I really like hanging out with you. I mean I've only known you for like a day, but it seems like I've known you for a lot longer. Besides if I was with my friends right now they'd probably want to have a burping contest and give each other wedgies."

Zoe smirked. "What, getting a wedgie doesn't sound like fun to you?"

"You wouldn't believe how many pairs of my boxers have been ripped", he said cringing. "If you want to meet them, I wouldn't mind introducing them to you."

"That's up to you. They won't make fun of you for hanging out with a girl?" She quipped.

"Nope, especially after I told them how cute you are," he blurted without thinking. He blushed suddenly. "Uuuuhhhhh........oh, you want some pizza?" He a frozen pizza out of the freezer.

"Sure, sounds good." She was also a bit red. He thinks I'm cute?

"I'll introduce them to you tomorrow, just because I told them I wouldn't be around today."

"Alright, this should be fun," she replied as he put the pizza into the oven.

**okays i'm all done with this chapter. hope it came out alright. if not then that's okay. (dammit dammit dammit!)**


	5. Chapter 5

**chapter 5 is done read, review, and enjoy the stupidity :D and thank you so much for the reviews. they give me the confidence to write more fanfics when im done with this one.....plus a drink or two to calm my nerves.**

**Broken Pieces**

**Chapter 5**

"So we finally get to meet your girlfriend, huh?" Kouji nudged Takuya.

"She's not my girlfriend, stupid." Not yet at least, he thought. "She almost backed out of it, though."

Kouichi smirked. "Why, did you tell her horror stories about us?"

"No, I think I she's worried that you'll be bored or something. I mean, she knows at this point she can't do too much, but I told her that we can watch a movie at her place or something."

"Will her aunt and uncle care if we're they're?" J.P. asked.

"Nah, I'm like a son to them," he said, giving them a goofy grin.

"Yeah, a very annoying son for that matter." Kouji threw a pillow into his face.

"Shut up!" Takuya threw it back.

"It's about time you got a girlfriend anyway", Tommy said.

Takuya couldn't argue with that.

_Two hours later_

Takuya let himself into Zoe's place, as he normally did, only this time being followed by J.P., Tommy, Kouichi, Kouji, and Kouji's girlfriend Amy. As usual Takuya opened the fridge and looked through it. J.P. couldn't help himself and looked through it as well.

Takashi walked in. "Hey pain in the ass, cleaning us out again I see. At this rate I'm gonna have to start charging you."

"Aw, you know you like having me around, you never have to worry about getting rid of leftovers or having anything spoil." Takuya closed the fridge door, holding a chicken wing. "Zoe in her room?"

"I think so. And knock this time, just in case."

Kouji smirked. "Did something happen that we should know about?"

"Nope. Nothing. Let's go."

Takuya was about to knock on the door when Zoe opened it.

"Oh, you're here." She smiled.

"Hey Zoe. Here are my retard friends. This is J.P., " he said pointed to J.P. "We call him fatass when he pisses us off."

"Hey! I'm not fat, I'm pleasantly plump! But hi, nice to meet you."

"You too", Zoe replied.

"This is Tommy. The one in the green jacket is Kouichi, and the one in the blue jacket is his brother Kouiji. And this is Kouji's girlfriend Amy."

"Hello," they said in unison.

"Hi, nice to meet you. What do you guys want to do?" Zoe asked.

"How about a movie?" Kouichi suggested.

Everyone agreed to the idea but no one agreed on what to watch.

"Action movie!" Takuya said.

"No, a horror movie," Kouichi shot back.

"I want to watch a comedy," J.P. said.

"How about a good drama," Amy offerred.

"Nah, too boring."

"Ah, jeez this is going to be awhile, huh?" Zoe rubbed her temple.

"Yup, god forbid anyone actually agree on something for once", Kouji muttered.

"I don't see you with any ideas", Takuya shot back.

"Flip a coin for crying out loud." Tommy was getting a little annoyed as well.

They finally picked a movie after a few more minutes of complaining. Takuya popped My Bloody Valentine into the dvd player (I've never seen it so if it sucks, then i'm sorry). Kouji sat on the couch with Amy on one side and Kouichi on the other, J.P. sat on a recliner, and Tommy sat on another chair.

Zoe was about to pull up next to the loveseat when Takuya came up next to her.

"Nope, you're sitting in an actual seat." With that he picked her up and sat her down on the loveseat, then plopped down beside her. "Now shut up everyone." He pushed play.

Eventually, the movie started getting sick and twisted. Zoe snuggled up closer to Takuya without even realizing it. Takuya did notice and smiled to himself. Hell yeah, he thought. At one point Zoe jumped and grabbed onto him, burying her face in his shoulder.

"I can't watch." Her voice was muffled. She wasn't the only one freaking out. J.P. looked a little scared and Amy was practically in Kouji's lap.

Eventually the movie was over and everyone had to go home.

"Bye guys, hope you weren't too bored," Zoe said.

"Are you kidding? We gotta do this again sometime." Amy jotted something down. "Here's my cell number if you ever want to hang out or just talk. And trust me, if you hang out with these guys, you're gonna need someone to talk to."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Kouji asked with a slight frown.

She smiled. "Nothing honey."

"Bye guys."

"Bye Zoe."

Everyone was gone. Everyone except Takuya.

"Did you have a good time?" He asked.

"Yeah I did. Sorry about grabbing you earlier." She looked down and rubbed the back of her neck.

Takuya swallowed. "That's okay, I don't mind." C'mon idiot, you like her. Just go for it.

"Did you want to stay for a snack or do you have to go home?" Zoe didn't want him to leave but knew she had to ask.

"I'll stay a little bit longer. Plus for my brother's sake, the later I get home, the better. Let's go in the kitchen."

He picked her up, intending to sit her down onto her wheelchair, but instead held her for a moment. He looked down into her sparkling eyes and then to her lips. He hesitated, then started to lower his lips to hers. Zoe was surprised but did not want to stop him. He kissed her softly for a few seconds, then pulled away. He turned red and started to feel stupid.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. I mean I really like you and I-"

Zoe pulled his face back down to hers and kissed him. Takuya kissed her back passionately, holding her tighter to him. They stayed like this for a few moments, then heard the front door open.

Takuya quickly set her down in her wheelchair. They tried to act nonchalantly as they made their way into the kitchen.

"Hey, what are you crazy kids up to?" Tomoyo asked, hanging her coat up.

"Food." Takuya started looking through the fridge.

"Should've guessed." Tomoyo shook her head and smiled. "Well, I'm going to bed. Takashi should be home within an hour or so. He went out with your father, Takuya. Probably getting some drinks while they watch the game. Night guys."

"Night."

They had some leftover chicken and sat there, neither one of them knowing what to say.

Finally Takuya got up. "Well I better be heading home. I'll see you later." He looked like he wanted to say more but didn't know what to say exactly.

"Takuya?" Zoe said softly.

"Yeah?"

"I had a really good time with you tonight."

Takuya smiled. "Me too." He walked over to her and bent over slightly. He gave her a soft kiss and brushed a blond lock of hair out of her fact. "I'll see you tomorrow. And don't expect for me to go easy on you."

"Easy on what?" She asked.

"I told you I'm going to help you walk again. Tomorrow I go drill sergeant on you. Bye." He gave her fake evil smile and left.

Zoe sighed and smiled to herself. "Why do I have a feeling that tomorrow's not going to be fun?"

**well thats it for that chapter. hope it doesnt suck too bad. i didnt know how to put takuyas friends into play that much so i just sent them home to play video games or something. only a few chapters to go. can you stand the suspense?**

**Kouichi: eh, i'm not too worried about it**

**me: (eye twitches) well who asked you**

**Kouichi: um, you did.**

**me:..........shut up. i'll give you a cookie if you shut up**

**Kouichi: oooooohh cookie**

**me: thought so.......**


	6. Chapter 6

**helloz chapter 6 is done. my story will be done by next week but i won't write another one until i get back from going away for a week or two just cuz i dont like leaving people hanging. so if anyone has any suggestions that they might like to read i will take them into consideration before writing it. i write takumi and sorato (nothing against taiora, i just think matt and sora make a cuter couple :D) read and review pleaze and chapter 7 should be coming soon as well.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own digimon**

**Broken Pieces**

**Chapter 6**

True to his word, Takuya showed up the very next day. He and Zoe worked for hours, trying to get her legs to strengthen. First she had to learn how to rotate her ankles, then how lift her legs up and down. They did this everyday for weeks, until finally Zoe was ready to try crawling.

Zoe took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm ready." She was positioned on her hands and knees.

"Take your time, and if you start to topple I'll catch you." Takuya knelt next to her, ready to help.

She took another deep breath. Then slowly but surely she began to crawl. Her legs felt like lead thoughout the ordeal, but at least they weren't like deadweights anymore. She smiled. "I'm doing it. I can't believe I'm doing it."

"Keep going. You're doing great." Takuya was ecstatic. "See if you can make it to the wall."

"I'll try."

A few grueling minutes later, Zoe had reached the wall. She was excited, but at the same time exhausted. She collapsed onto the floor, panting.

"Alright, Zoe! You did it!" Takuya pulled her into his arms and let her rest in them.

"Nap time now," she replied sleepily.

"No nap. You're gonna do it again in a few minutes."

She groaned. "Okay, but do you mind getting me a drink of water?"

"Sure. I'm kind of hungry anyway so I'll bring in some drinks and snacks." He laid her down on the floor and put a pillow under her head. "Try not to fall asleep when I'm gone."

Zoe yawned. "I won't."

Takuya left the room.

"At least I'll try not to," Zoe said quietly.

Five minutes later he returned with a bottle of water, a coke, and two bowls of noodles.

Just as he had thought, Zoe passed out.

"C'mon sleepyhead. Wake up." Takuya lifted her up and put his lips close to her ear. "WAKE UP!"

Zoe screamed. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Hey I told you not to fall asleep, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but you didn't have to deafen me. Jeez...." she rubbed her ear softly.

"Sorry. But you're away now so that's all that matters. Oh, and I brought you some lunch."

"Thanks."

They started to eat, but within seconds Takuya had devoured his. "Be right back." He left with his bowl, only to return a few minutes with another one filled to the top.

Zoe smirked. "Hungry today, aren't we?" She teased.

"Are you kidding? That didn't even put a dent in it. I'll probably be getting up again in a few minutes for more." Takuya dug into his second bowl.

They both finished, but not before Takuya brought out a bag of chips.

"How do your parents afford to feed you?" Zoe asked, raising her eyebrows slightly.

"I dunno, rob a conveniance store or something......" Takuya started munching on his chips. "Alright, you ready to start again?"

"I guess", she said, pulling herself onto her hands and knees. She began to crawl again, only this time just a little bit faster than before.

They worked for another hour, taking breaks for Zoe to rest. Finally, she couldn't handle it anymore.

"Takuya, can we please stop? I'm so tired I'm on the verge of passing out. And my legs are really starting to get sore......"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. You did awesome today, Zoe. If we keep it up, soon you'll be walking around before you know it. See I'm waaay better than any physical therapist. Tell you aunt and uncle that you don't need one. The money that they would be spending to pay for one, they can now use to stock up on more food." Takuya smiled.

"Is food all you ever think about?" Zoe asked.

"No, it's only number two on my list."

"Oh, really? What's your number one?" She asked him.

Takuya took her face between his hands and gave her a soft kiss. "You are, Zoe."

Zoe blushed slightly. "Do you really mean that, Takuya?"

"Yup. You're really up there, and you know how much I love food."

Zoe wanted to asked him if he loved her, but decided against it. Let's not get carried away here, she thought.

"Alright, I gotta go. I promised the Kouji I'd help him with some stupid crap that I can't even remember. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." Takuya gave her a quick kiss.

"Bye." She watched as he closed the door and sighed. With that she started to practice crawling again until finally her legs were on fire. She yawned and laid down on the floor, with her pillow under her head.

She began to drift into sleep. Everything seemed hazy, and images began to flash through her head. She was in her old house, but there was a dark mist clouding her surroundings. She saw the man's face for a moment, then it was gone. Chills went down her spine and she could see her breath, as if it had dropped thirty or forty degrees. She began to wander through the rooms slowly, her gaze catching a spot of blood on the floor. More spots followed it, until finally she saw a long streaky trail of blood, as if something had been dragged. She swallowed and began to follow it. She didn't want to but it was as if she had no control of her body. She entered her parents' bedroom and saw a knife sticking out of the top of the dresser. It looked as if someone had stabbed the top of it and the point of the knife stuck into the wood. A small puddle of blood surrounded the area. A single droplet of blood made its way down the blade, dripping into the puddle.

She felt sick to her stomach and tears welled in her eyes. She turned to leave the room, but saw the bodies of her mother, father and sister laying side by side on the king-sized bed. She could see all of their wounds, their lifeless eyes gazing up at the ceiling. Zoe burst into tears and bolted out of the room. Just as she was about to enter the next room connecting this one, the man who had killed her family, Hatori Matsumoto, leaped out of the shadows with that bloody knife of his, ready to finish the job he had started. Zoe screamed.

"Zoe! Zoe, are you okay?" It was Takuya's voice. She felt him pull her into his arms as she bolted awake.

She was covered in a cold sweat. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to take a deep breath.

"Shh. It's okay. I got you," Takuya said as she buried her face into his shoulder and cried. He rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her down.

"I...I th-thought you left", Zoe stammered.

"Yeah but then I realized that I left my bag of chips. And it gave me an excuse to see you again." He wiped a tear off her face. "What happened? Bad dream or something?"

"The worst", Zoe said shakily.

"Was it about.........him....?"

Zoe nodded.

"He's in jail now, so he can't hurt you. He is in jail, right?" Takuya asked.

"Yeah. He was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole."

"Well that's good. Now he has the rest of his life to feel bad about what he's done."

Zoe shook her head. "No, he enjoyed every second of it. I could see it in his eyes. His only regret is not finishing me off", she scoffed.

"Well too bad for him that that's never going to happen. I wouldn't let it. Let's just hope he doesn't drop the soap during his stay", Takuya quipped.

"I hope he _does _drop it. Some sort of payback."

"I'll send a letter to the inmates." They both laughed at the thought. "Payback's a bitch," Takuya said.

**read and review and let me know how you liked it. we're winding down to our last chapters, i think it'll have nine altogether. my original plan was six chapters but it didnt have enough of what i wanted and i dont like cramming too much into one chapter. chapter 7 will be out soon.**


	7. Chapter 7

**chapter 7 is done..........okay well thats pretty much all i have to say. enjoy! also, after some deliberation, it turns out that the story will actually end up with around 11 chapters because i dont want to bunch things up too much and the extra chapters will give better detail. so it'll take a little bit longer but i promise it'll be worth it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own digimon**

**Broken Pieces**

**Chapter 7**

"Okay, Zoe. I think you got the crawling thing down. Can't believe it's only been a week." Takuya smiled. "Think you're ready to try to stand up?"

"........." Zoe looked scared.

"Hey don't worry about it. Might as well try. What have you got to lose? I already told you that I wouldn't let you fall and crack your head open."

Zoe hesitated for a moment longer then gave in. "Okay, might as well give it a shot."

Takuya helped her stand up then held onto her. "Alright, I'm slowly going to let go. Try your hardest to keep your balance. The second you start to topple I'll help you."

Zoe's legs were shaking. She swallowed and took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

Takuya slowly released his grip on her, allowing her to stand on her own. Her legs were shaking even worse. Zoe tried her hardest to stay where she was.

"Don't grab onto anything unless you have to. Try your hardest to do it on your own."

Zoe was holding her breath, her heart pounding. Please let me do this, even if it's only for a minute, she thought.

"You're doing good. Keep it up", Takuya said.

Zoe started to wobble a bit, trying to use her arms to help her balance. She touched a shelf on the wall for a moment to steady herself, then let go of it. She started taking shallow breaths, her heart beating even faster. All of a sudden her legs buckled beneath her and she started to fall back. Takuya caught her in his arms.

"Alright! Good job! You did that for an entire thirty seconds. But don't get me wrong that's really good for the first try. You'll be up and walking in no time." Takuya carried her to her bed and set her down.

"Thanks. I was so scared that I wouldn't be able to do it, but I did it." Zoe was ecstatic.

"Do you wanna try again in a few minutes?" Takuya asked.

"Yup. And then again after that. Oh, my god I'm so happy. I'm getting closer and closer to finally being able to walk again. And I couldn't have done it without you!" Zoe threw her arms around him and laid her face against his chest.

Takuya smiled and stroked her hair. "I didn't do all of the work. You did most of it, I was just there to make sure you didn't fall asleep halfway through."

"You don't give yourself enough credit, you pain in the butt," she replied playfully. "Besides knowing you, this is about the time where you would want something to eat."

"I was just going to say that." Takuya stood up but before he could leave to get something, Tomoyo entered the room.

"How are things going in here?" She asked.

"Zoe was standing on her own," Takuya said happily.

"Really? That's so wonderful!" She gave Zoe a hug. "You're recovering a lot faster than even the doctors thought. I'm so proud of you!"

Takashi walked into the room a second later. "Hey the pizza delivery guy screwed up the order so we ended up getting an extra pizza at no charge. You guys want-"

Takuya grabbed the pizza box before he could finish.

"Stupid question," Zoe and Tomoyo said as Takuya took a big bite into a slice.

"Yeah, no kidding." Takashi shook his head and smiled.

"Zoe was standing all by herself", Tomoyo told him with a huge smile on her face.

"Wow. Already?" He asked.

"We almost didn't believe it either", Zoe said.

"Well good for you. You'll be walking very soon by the looks of it." He looked at his watch. "Dammit, I gotta go to work now. I'll see you guys later. Keep up the good work Zoe."

"Bye", they said together.

"I gotta head out too in a minute. My friend's moving and asked me if I could help her with some of the heavier stuff." Tomoyo turned to leave. "Bye guys."

"Bye", they said.

"So, what do you wanna do?" Takuya asked.

Zoe shrugged. "I don't know. What do you wanna do?"

Takuya smirked. "Do you really know what I wanna do?"

"Let me guess. Eat?"

"Nope." Takuya folded his arms.

Zoe raised her eyebrows. "No? Has Hell frozen over or something?"

"No."

"Well then, what do you feel like doing?"

Takuya was about to pull her into a kiss, when there was a knock on the door. A second later Kouji entered the room.

"Kouji? Who let you in?" Takuya asked.

"The neighbor's dog. Who do you think? Zoe's aunt." Kouji rolled his eyes. Then he smiled. "Did I interrupt anything?"

"Eh, shut up. What do you want? Is something wrong?"

"Not really, I just need a place to hide. My mom wanted me to clean out the attic and Kouichi screwed before she could ask him. She won't find me here."

"Why didn't you just go to Amy's?" Zoe asked. "Not that you're not welcome here or anything, but she probably wouldn't mind helping you hide."

"Yeah but my mom would check there anyway. Besides, Amy went to stay at her cousin's for the weekend. And my mom knows where Tommy and J.P. live and I wonn't go to Takuya's because his brother is annoying enough where I would rather deal with the attic."

"Aw, he can't be that bad.....can he?" Zoe wondered.

"Shall I introduce you to the little demon?" Takuya asked. "He would probably be nice to you because you're a girl, but let's just say that J.P. is too afraid to come back to my house ever again."

Zoe shuddered. "Okay, maybe not......."

Takuya looked at Kouji. "...........Sooo........what do you wanna do?"

"I can just sit here and read a magazine. Or text Amy. You kids can go back to whatever the hell you were doing."

"Dammit.......not in front of you i won't", Takuya muttered. "Here's some pizza." He threw the box at Kouji's head.

"Hey!" He threw it back, conking Takuya in the forehead.

Before Zoe knew it the two of them were bickering like a couple of children. For the hell of it she took out a a bag of candy.

"Hey, guys," she said in a sweet voice. "I have candy."

Takuya and Kouji froze and stared at her. Zoe smiled and tossed the bag into the corner. They stared at her, then at the bag, then at each other. Suddenly they both dove for the candy. As they fought over the candy, Zoe was cracking up.

"You guys are morons.....but I like you anyways."

**let me know how you liked this. read and review. and thank you to everyone who gave reviews. I'm so happy that maybe i'll give takuya and kouji a second bag of candy.**

**Takuya and Kouji: It's mine!**


	8. Chapter 8

**another day, another chapter done. hope you like it. :D**

**Disclaimer: i do not own digimon**

**Broken Pieces**

**Chapter 8**

"Zoe? Wakey wakey, Zoe."

Zoe groaned and rolled over.

"C'mon. It's time to get up." Takuya pulled her blanket down so it wasn't covering her head.

"Get up for what?" She asked sleepily.

"Well, you've been practicing standing up for the past few days. So I thought it would be a good idea if today you tried taking your first steps."

Zoe yawned. "Okay......five more minutes."

Takuya pulled her into his lap then pulled Shinya's airhorn out from his pocket. He held it up a few inches away from her head.

Zoe saw it and bolted awake. "Okay, I'm up. I'm up. Just don't use that thing."

He smiled. "I knew you'd see things my way."

Ten minutes later Zoe was up. She threw on white shorts, a pink halter top, and white sneakers, then told Takuya it was okay for him to come back into the room.

"Wow, you look cute." He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"You don't look so bad yourself", she replied, looking at his khakis and red and black t-shirt.

"So, are you ready yet?"

"Yup, and you know the drill. Try to make sure I don't crack my head open." She stood there for a moment and, after hesitating for a few minutes, tried to take a step. Her legs felt heavy and wobbly and she couldn't help but fall.

"Whoa, gotcha." Takuya helped her stand up. "Try again."

Zoe concentrated as hard as she could. She couldn't quite take an actual step but did manage to shuffle around a bit. "Jeez, I feel like an old person", she quipped.

"Hey you're doing good. Shuffling is the first step to walking....or is it second.....? Well anyway, keep it up."

Zoe was moving around exceptionally well for her first time. She did fall a few times but that couldn't really be avoided until she was more used to it. She tired out quickly though and finally her legs couldn't support her anymore. Takuya picked her up and laid her down on her bed.

"Ugh, I'm not feeling too good." Zoe rubbed her temple.

"You're probably light-headed from moving around a lot. But that's good because it shows how hard you worked." Takuya sat next to her and pulled her into a cuddle.

"Hey, I know this is kind of random, but when is your birthday?" Zoe asked.

"Yeah, that is kind of random. But it's next month." He smiled. "I'm turning 18 which means I can buy cigarettes."

"I didn't know that you smoke."

"Oh, I don't but if any of my friends want them then they'll be giving me extra money just for the trouble of getting them."

Zoe smiled and shook her head. "Looks like I need to start planning. Is there anything in particular you want for your birthday?"

Takuya scratched his head. "No, not really. Plus, I don't want you to have to spend money on me or anything."

"Oh, be quiet. I'm getting you a gift whether you like it or not, so don't even try to argue with me." Zoe snuggled up to him. "Because you know I'll win."

Takuya shifted and leaned over her. "Oh, really." His brown eyes stared into her green ones. He pinned her down, not allowing her to get up. "I think I win this argument, don't you?" He brushed his lips against hers.

Zoe pulled him down and gave him a long soft kiss, until finally Takuya said, "Okay. You win."

"Thought so."

They laid there for another ten minutes, then decided to try again.

Takuya stood there completely silent, watching her intently as she started moving. Zoe took a deep breath. Her heart was pounding but she very slowly started to make her way across the room. She shuffled at first, but as she moved more, her steps came off the floor higher and higher until they passed as regular steps. Before she knew it, she had reached the wall.

Takuya took her into his arms and started swinging her around as they both laughed. Tears of joy ran down Zoe's face as she buried her face in his neck. Takuya rested his face on the top of her head, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her hair.

"God, I love you", Takuya blurted out.

Zoe looked up at him. "Did...did you just say that you love me?" She was surprised but happy nonetheless.

"Yeah, I guess I did." Takuya rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed.

"Takuya, I love you too." She pulled his face down to hers and kissed him. He returned her kiss, tasting the sweetness of her lips. He couldn't stop himself and goddammit he didn't want to stop.

Finally Kouji randomly comes in and pries them apart with a crowbar. "C'mon, you're gonna make everyone lose their lunch."

"Lunch?! Where?!" Takuya starts looking around for food like a lunatic.

Zoe sighed. "You had to say it."

Kouji scratched his head. "My bad."

"Oh, well. It was bound to happen eventually."

"I'm just surprised he knows what lunch is considering he's never awake when lunchtime's around. But that's Takuya for you." Kouji looks at the crowbar. "How did I get this thing in the first place anyways?" He thought for a moment then remembered. "Oh, yeah. Some dude dented my car so I'm on way to 'dent' his. Later guys."

"Bye Kouji", Takuya and Zoe said. Then Takuya continued to look around for food.

"Um, Takuya? You know that there's food in the kitchen, right?" Zoe asked him.

A lightbulb went off above Takuya's head. "Kitchen!" Then he ran off like the roadrunner. Zoe was surprised she doesn't hear a Meep Meep! She smiled and shook her head. "He is so cute."

**hope you like the ending of this chapter. read and review and chapter 9 is coming soon!**


	9. Chapter 9

**chapter 9 is finally complete! only a few chapters left (and i mean it this time, considering i said that about 4 chapters ago. so we're winding down on a few things. hope it doesn't seem to rushed. read and review please thanx :D**

**Broken Pieces**

**Chapter 9**

The next three weeks seemed to fly for Zoe. She was walking on her own almost as good as she used to before that incident. Takuya spent almost everyday with her, working on her improvements. Zoe and Amy even went to the mall together so that Zoe could find a birthday present for Takuya.

"I have no idea what to get him." Zoe looked from store to store but still had no clue what he would like.

Amy shrugged. "He likes food. You could always get him a $20 card to Burger King or something."

"Yeah, but I want to give him something that he won't spend in a matter of two seconds. And it'll be used in one visit, knowing him."

"Yeah, true."

Zoe started looking around until one of the stores caught her eye. "That's it!" She went into the store then emerged a few minutes later with a bag. "Perfect! He's going to love this....I hope."

"Hey even if you gave him an empty gum wrapper he would like it just because it's from you and you would get away with it. Now if it was any of the guys that did it, they would get their asses kicked."

They laughed. "Yeah, no kidding."

"So what are you doing for his birthday anyway?" Amy shifted one of her bags to her other arm.

"He's supposed to be coming to my aunt's house tonight for dinner. And obviously cake."

"Are your aunt and uncle going to be there?"

Zoe shook her head. "No, they went away for the weekend."

"Damn, they're never around. So I guess now you and Takuya can be all alone together, huh?" Amy teased.

"Looks like it."

Forty-five minutes later Zoe was back home. Amy waved goodbye, then drove towards Kouji's house. Zoe let herself in, then headed for her room. She glanced at the clock. It read 1:30, and Takuya was coming at six, so then she had four and a half hours to get everything ready.

She decided to start with the cake. Just as she finished putting it in the oven, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey Zoe."

"Hi Takuya. You're still coming tonight, right?"

"Oh, hell yeah", he replied. "I get to see you, I get dinner, and I get cake. What more could I want?"

"A present?" She teased.

"Zoe, I told you not to bother getting me anything."

"Yeah, but if you quite remember, I won that argument."

Takuya sighed. "Oh, alright. I'll be there at six."

"Okay, see you then. Love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

"Bye." They both hung up.

While the cake was baking, she started to prep everything for their dinner. Kouichi told her that Takuya loved steak, while Kouji said Takuya liked pizza and J.P. said that his friend liked burgers the best. So Zoe decided to do a little bit of everything. After all, she thought, it _is _his birthday and he only turns 18 once.

When she finished getting everything prepped, she waited for the cake to come out of the oven. She wrapped the present in red wrapping paper and topped it with a black bow while she waited. When the cake was ready, she set it on the counter. It had to cool before she could frost it so now would be a good time to shower.

Zoe grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt for when she got out and would just change later. She took a nice long shower, letting the hot water sink in and relax her muscles. Finally by the time she finished, the clock read 3:30. The cake was cooled enough by now, so she decided to frost it. When she was done, the cake had light blue frosting with green icing that said Happy Birthday Takuya. She also managed to make a pretty decent flower in the corner of it.

For the next hour she prepared the dinners and by the time they were ready, she kept them in the warm oven to keep them nice and hot until Takuya got there. The oven was off but it took forever for it to cool down, so it was the perfect place to put them.

Zoe yawned and decided to rest for a half hour, until 5:30. She made her way into her room and laid down. For what seemed like only five minutes later, her alarm went off, waking her. She got up and put on the outfit she had picked out for tonight. It was a silky lavender dress with spaghettie straps. The dress came down to a few inches above the knees and she put on a pair of matching flats to complete the outfit. After brushing her long hair and putting on some lipgloss, she gave herself a quick squirt of her body spray. Done, she said to herself.

She glanced at the clock. It was 5:45. Only fifteen minutes until Takuya showed up.

She turned to leave the room when her blood turned to ice. Her skin became cold and her heart skipped a beat. Tears welled in her eyes. "No....it can't be........" She sank to the floor unable to breath. Her body started to shake in fear as the tears escaped and ran down her face.

Standing in the doorway was Hatori Matsumoto.

**ooooooooooh the suspense! i hope you liked this chapter. chapter 10 coming soon! please let me know how you liked it :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own digimon**

**Broken Pieces**

**Chapter 10**

_She turned to leave the room when her blood turned to ice. Her skin became cold and her heart skipped a beat. Tears welled in her eyes. "No....it can't be........" She sank to the floor unable to breath. Her body started to shake in fear as the tears escaped and ran down her face._

_Standing in the doorway was Hatori Matsumoto._

He gave a half-smile. "Did you miss me?"

"What are you doing here?!" This isn't fair, she thought. None of this was supposed to happen. How did it?

As if he could read minds he said, "Oh, come on. You really didn't think any prison could hold me. Any halfwit can break out if he does it right."

"How did you find me?" Her voice was shaking. She didn't even know how she had even mustered up the courage to ask him.

"Oh, it wasn't hard at all. Nowadays, you can find out just about anything when you talk to the right people." He took a step closer.

"Stay away from me!" She shakily stood up and backed up to the wall.

"I'm impressed. Last time I heard, I left you unable to walk." He lunged forward suddenly.

Zoe screamed as he grabbed her and spun her around. One hand held her neck tightly. His other held his knife. Hatori then began to lightly trace her spine with the tip of his blade. "But we can fix that now can we? Just one little jab and you'll be back to square one. Only this time I won't give you a chance to relearn it."

Zoe started to cry even harder, as he led her out to the living room.

"You know, I'm not upset that I got locked away or anything. I'm just upset that I didn't get to finish what I started." He dug his blade into her back a little harder.

Zoe cringed. She remembered how it felt the first time around. She did not want to relive it.

"Please leave me alone, I'll do whatever you want-"

"But this is what I what. How can I leave you alone when what I want is for you to be dead?" He smiled. "But don't worry. I won't kill you right away. I want this to last."

Zoe shuddered. She hoped that Takuya would blow her off. That would never happen in a million years but she had to hope. Or at least hope for him to be extremely late. She couldn't stand to lose anyone else in her life. If she couldn't save her parents or Akari she at least wanted to make sure Takuya was safe.

She sobbed as he dragged his knife across her shoulder. It cut the strap of her dress and the skin around it. A thin line of blood emerged.

This went on for five more minutes on her shoulders and arms. He was about to give her a cut on her neck when they heard the door open.

Hatori leaned so his mouth was near her ear. "Who's that?" He hissed quietly.

"Well jeez you didn't think all that food and cake was for me, did you?" She scoffed back.

"Zoe?" Takuya looked around in the kitchen. He saw the cake on the table and smiled.

Back in the living room Hatori whispered. "You have thirty seconds to get rid of him or he dies."

Zoe gulped and tried to sound as normal as possible.

"Zoe?" Takuya started to enter the dining room.

"Don't come any closer. I don't want to see you, just leave!" Zoe shouted.

Takuya frowned. "What do you mean?" He shouted back.

"I said go away. I don't want to see you. I only pretended to like you so that you would help me walk again, but what do I need you for now?"

"So you're telling me you went through all the trouble to make me a cake and everything only to decide you don't like me?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Something was up, he thought.

Zoe knew time was running out. "Just go away. I hate you and I never want to see you again. If you don't leave I'll call the cops and have them arrest you for trespassing!"

"Fine, whatever! Have a nice life, you ungrateful bitch!" With that the door opened and slammed shut.

Zoe waited a few seconds then couldn't take it anymore. She broke down into uncontrollable sobs. He hates me, she thought miserably. But it was for the best. She couldn't risk anything happening to him.

Hatori grabbed a handful of her hair and lifted her head up so that she was looking at him. "Good girl. See? I don't have to kill _everyone _in your life. He dug his blade into her shoulder, and she began to scream in pain.

Suddenly Takuya jumped out and tackled Hatori, getting him off of Zoe.

"Takuya! Look out!" Zoe cried out.

Hatori punched Takuya sending him into the wall. Zoe sprang up and slammed her hand into Hatori's nose. Enraged, he backhanded her across the face as hard as he could. She fell to the floor, barely conscious.

Takuya swung at him, slamming him into the wall. "You bastard!"

Hatori punched him in the stomach, momentarily stunning him. He made his way to Zoe and put his foot down onto her back. Zoe cried out, unable to move. He began to dig his heel into her backbone, causing tears of pain to well in Zoe's eyes. She could feel the bones in her back cracking. He then moved his foot onto her neck and started to step down, slightly restricting her air supply.

"Stop it!" Takuya took a step closer. Hatori stopped him.

"One more step and all I have to do is jerk my foot and her neck is broken." He applied a bit more pressure, making Zoe wince.

"Just leave her alone." Takuya felt defeated. "Take me instead."

"No!" Zoe tried to scream.

Hatori took his gun from his belt and pointed it at Takuya. "Alright. In the kitchen." He took his foot off of Zoe's neck, but then gave her a brisk kick on the side of her head. Zoe's head felt as if had been shot. She closed her eyes and laid still.

Takuya looked ready to kill, but had no choice to listen to him at this point. He slowly made his way into the kitchen with Hatori close behind him, ready to shoot if Takuya tried anything.

As they left the room, Zoe moved slightly. Neither one of them noticed.

"No. I won't let this happen again," Zoe whispered. Flashbacks of her family came to mind. She had felt so helpless when they were being threatened. And no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't save any of them. In the back of her mind, Zoe felt as though she could have at least saved Akari. But she couldn't even do that. They had been failed by her. At least she had a shot to help Takuya.

She shakily stood up then quietly opened the drawer where she knew Takashi kept his collection of knives. She picked up the biggest one, then crept through the dining room, making her way to the kitchen.

Hatori threw Takuya onto the ground and started kicking him in the back and stomach. Takuya spit out some blood and tried to crawl away but each time he attempted it, he got kicked. Hatori picked up his gun off the table and clicked off the safety. He aimed at Takuya.

"When I'm done with you, you're girlfriend's not gonna be so lucky either."

Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Zoe jumped onto his back and rammed the knife down into his shoulder with all her might. Hatori screamed and dropped his gun, it landing a few feet away from Takuya. Takuya lunged at it and tried to aim at Hatori as quickly as he could. Hatori had thrown Zoe off, and unbeknownst to her, still held his knife in his other hand. Before Takuya had time to fire, Hatori had quickly rammed the blade deep into her stomach.

"Zoe!" Takuya fired twice.

**only one chapter left. what's gonna happen? let me know how this chapter was. :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**this is the final chapter. after this i wont be writing any more stories for about two weeks because i dont want to start one and then have to leave people hanging while im gone for a week or two. but i promise that after i return from being m.i.a. i will have a new story in the works. let me know how you liked my story. and thanx for all the reviews. byez :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own digimon**

**Broken Pieces**

**Chapter 11**

_He aimed at Takuya._

_"When I'm done with you, you're girlfriend's not gonna be so lucky either."_

_Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Zoe jumped onto his back and rammed the knife down into his shoulder with all her might. Hatori screamed and dropped his gun, it landing a few feet away from Takuya. Takuya lunged at it and tried to aim at Hatori as quickly as he could. Hatori had thrown Zoe off, and unbeknownst to her, still held his knife in his other hand. Before Takuya had time to fire, Hatori had quickly rammed the blade deep into her stomach._

_"Zoe!" Takuya fired twice._

Hatori made a choked sound. Two bloody holes could be seen on his back, his clothes quickly turning red. He shuddered, then fell over with a loud thud. He laid there motionless, his eyes gazing at nothing. Hatori Matsumoto was dead.

"Zoe!" Takuya crawled over to her and saw her lavender dressed stained with blood. She was desperately trying to stop the bleeding by pressing her hands over the wound. "Oh my god." Takuya had tears in his eyes and he removed his jacket. He quickly put it over her stomach, while digging his cell phone out of his pocket. His blood-slicked fingers kept sliding over the buttons as he tried to dial 911.

Zoe coughed and began to shudder. She was losing a lot of blood and knew that she didn't have much time left.

Takuya had finally managed to get through and one minute later he was told that an ambulance was on its way.

He gathered Zoe in his arms. "C'mon Zoe. You're going to make it. Just hang in there."

Zoe gave him a weak smile. "Happy Birthday. Sorry this wasn't what we were planning."

Takuya shook his head, tears running down his face. "Don't worry about it. None of that matters right now."

"I just wanted to let you know that all that stuff I said to you, I didn't mean it." Zoe coughed again. By now the jacket was almost completely soaked.

"I know. You were only trying to protect me. But I knew something was up, so I pretended to leave and then waited to see what would happen."

"Yeah. I almost got you killed," she said miserably.

"And if I had left, _you _would have been killed." He held onto her tighter. "The ambulance should be here soon. I"ll call your aunt and uncle later, but for now I'm not letting you go."

Zoe groaned. Her stomach felt as though it were on fire. Her vision began to blur and she began to feel light-headed. "I love you,"she whispered.

"I love you too." Takuya leaned down and kissed her softly. He brushed her hair out of her face. The ambulance could be heard coming from the distance.

"I always will." Zoe's eyes closed and she went limp in his arms.

"Zoe! Wake up! Please wake up! I can't lose you," he cried as he held her tighter. "Please. Zoe........."

He heard the ambulance pull into the driveway but by now he was in his own world.

**Two days later**

"How you holding up?" Kouji asked his friend.

"I'm alright." Takuya rubbed his temples as they walked.

"Well call me if anything comes up. See you later."

"Later." Takuya watched Kouji walk away. Then he entered a room.

He went over to the bed, where Zoe was laying. Her abdomen was all wrapped up, along with a few bandages on her arms and shoulders.

She turned and smiled at him. "Hey."

Takuya leaned over her and gave her a kiss. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Like I got hit by a truck. But don't worry, I'll live."

"You better. I need someone to vent to when Kouji pisses me off," he quipped.

"I wonder when they're gonna let me go home." Zoe looked down at her stomach. "I look like a mummy."

"Yeah, but a cute mummy." Takuya looked over and noticed her tray of food. He stared at it for a moment.

Zoe smiled. "Go ahead, I'm really not hungry. Besides they can bring me more food if I ask them.

Takuya bit into her sandwich. "Really? Well in that case-"

"Is food all you ever think about?" She joked and shook her head.

"Actually no. But as soon as you get out of here I'm taking you out for dinner."

"Really? We've never really gone out for eat before."

Takuya started munching on the piece of chocolate cake. "Yeah, but what better time than to do it now?"

"Yeah, and we'll get you a cake too. Happy belated birthday. Oh, that reminds me. I have something for you. I asked Tomoyo to bring it on her last visit."

"What is it?" He asked.

"Open it and find out", she said with a smile. "I mean if you don't want it, I could always exchange it...."

"Holy crap! A Playstation 3?! How the hell did you afford this?"

"Now that shall remain a mystery," she replied.

"Zoe, I can't accept this-"

"You better accept it or it's going down your throat. It's the least I can do with everything you've done for me. So if you don't take it you'll be damn sorry."

"Okay, okay. I accept. But damn, this is awsome. Way better than what Kouji got me...." He shook his head.

"Let me guess. An empty gum wrapper", Zoe said.

Takuya looked shocked. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"I know these things."

"Haha Kouji's gonna be so jealous that I got a Playstation 3!"

"Playstation 3?!" The door flung open with Kouji, Kouichi, J.P. and Tommy all standing there with their mouths foaming.

"Aaahhh! It's mine!" Takuya yelled as they began to chase him around the room.

"Let me try it first!" The other four yelled in hot pursuit.

Zoe was cracking up. "He may be a moron. But he's my moron."

**alright that's it. I really hope it came out okay. i wasn't too sure how i was gonna work out the ending but this should make everyone happy. let me know if you liked it. and ill have a new story out in a few weeks, maybe sooner. bye byez :D**


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